Method of producing overlay and/or inlay effects in wood



NOV. 2l, 1933 1 w BE|GER 1,936,182

METHOD 0F PRODUCING OVERLAY AND/0R INLAY EFFECTS IN woon Filed Aug. 17.1931 A Il* IMA/16,1', .f

INVENTOR John VV. Belge? Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED'IsT'A 'resx n vMETHOD OF PRODCING OVERLAY AND/ 0R INLAY EFFECTS yIN WOOD v John W.Beiger, Ludington, Mich., assigner to Carrom Company, Ludington, Mich.

Application vAugust 17,`

6 Claims.

The main object of this invention'is to provide a method of producingoverlay and/or inlay effects in vWood which produces rvery desirable andattractive results and maybe economically practiced.

A furtherv object is to provide a method of this character by means ofwhich a variety of effects can be easily produced.

Objects pertaining to details and economies of .my invention willdefinitely appear from the description to follow. The invention isdefined in the claims. y

The manner of carrying out my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a panel formed by my method orprocess.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective v1ew.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating conventionally an apparatusfor the practice of my invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View in section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view` corresponding to Fig. 4 illustrating a step of mymethod.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Figs. 4 and 5 illustratinganother step of the method. v

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View illustrating still another step of themethod.

In the accompanying drawing the parts are shown mainly in conventionalform and the design is illustrated only. No attempt has been i'rnade toshow the parts in accurate dimensions.

In Fig. 3, I illustrate a wood panel or sheet 1,

preferably of veneer. As a preliminary step I moisten this panel, whichmay be done by steaming or it is ordinarily suicient to apply moistureto the surface thereof as by meansvof a sponge.

`The sheet or panel is arranged upon a supporting bed 2, preferablyhaving a steam chamber 3 therein. A wire screen 4 is arranged upon thebed, the panel being superimposedupon the wire I'screen; The purpose ofthis is to permit the escape of steam from the panel during the heatingand pressing steps.

The die head 5 has asteam chamber 6 therein and carries the die plate '7which has a design, preferably in the form of a stencil, indicated at 8therein. This is conventionally shown in Fig. 3.

With the die plate mounted on the die head and the moistened panelarranged on the support, the die head is actuated to close so thatportions of the panel are subjected simultaneously to pressure and heat.

In the embodiment illustrated the background portion 9 of the panel isdepressed, the stencil being of suitable shape to produce the design 10,which portion is left as an overlay or emboss.

193i. serial 557,435

The vfiber of the depressed portion 9 is .com-f.

pasted so that the grain of the woodA is very perceptibly disarranged orchanged, with the re.-

sultY that an overlay appearance is secured. It will be understood thatthe design portion or figure may be the part subjected to pressure,thereby producing the opposite effect, that is, inset or inlay effect.

As further steps in the method I preferably coat the design portion 10with a resist 11 indicated in Fig. 5. The backgroundportion 9 is thenstained, the stained portion being indicated at l2 in Fig. 6 in agreatly exaggerated manner, as it will be understood that I preferablyuse coloring matter, such as the coloring matter employed by printers,which penetrates the fiber. For convenience in illustration the coloringmatter is shown as a layer.

The resist is then removed as indicated in Fig. 6 and the entire surfacecoated with shellac or varnish as indicated at 13. f

By simultaneously applying the pressure and heat the wood is compactedand the grain changed in appearance, and it retains its form orappearance when the pressure is removed. It will be understood that thedesign may be changed desired.

By my method the panels may be very rapidly produced and when veneer istreated it may be readily secured to a suitable backing or used as thefacing vof a laminated structure with highly satisfactory results.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Paten 1s: Y

1. The method 'of producing overlay and/or inlay effects in woodconsisting of moisteningV a sheet or panel of Wood veneer, arranging themoistened sheet or panel in superimposed relation to a wire screen upc-na fiat supporting bed and subjecting to simultaneous heat and pressureby means of a die platehaving the design on the face thereof whereby aportion of thesurface of the sheet is depressed on the fiber thereofcompacted and the grain. of the wood distinguishably changed inappearance from the portions not subjected to the pressure of the die.

2. The method of producing ove-rlay and/or inlay effects in woodconsisting of znoistening a sheet or panel of wood veneer, arranging themoistened sheetA or panel upon a flat supporting bed and subjecting tosimultaneous heat and pressure by means of a die plate having the designon the face thereof whereby the back is flat and a portion of thefrontsurface of the sheet is depressedand the fiber thereof compacted and thegrain of the Wooddistinguishably changed in appearance from the portionsnot subjected to the pressure of the die. f

3. The method of producing overlay and/or all inlay effects in woodconsisting of moistening a sheet or panel of Wood veneer, arranging themoistened sheet or panel upon a fiat supporting bed and subjecting tosimultaneous heat and pressure by means of a die plate having the designon the face thereof whereby a portion of the surface of the sheet isdepressed and the fiber thereof compacted and the grain of the Wooddistinguishably Changed in appearance from the portions not subjected tothe pressure of the die, coating' the uncompacted portions with aresist, staining the compacted portion, and removing the resist andvarnishing the surface of the sheet or panel.

4. The method of producing overlay and/or inlay eifects in Woodconsisting of moistening, subjecting designed portions thereof whilesupported by means permitting theescape of steam only from. the,opposite side to simultaneous heat and pressure whereby the designedportion of the suiface isk depressed and the grain of the wood changedin apearance from the other portion thereof. v

5. The method of producing overlay and/or inlay eiects in Woodconsisting of moistening, subjecting designed portions,V thereof tosimultaneous heat and pressure whereby the designed portion of thesurface is depressed and the grain ofithe wood changed in appearancefrom the other portion thereof, coating the uncompacted portion with aresist, staining the compacted portion, and removing the resist andfinishing the surface.

6. The method of producing inlay or overlay effects in Wood consistingof subjecting designed portions of a sheet or panel `to pressure wherebya portion of the surface of the sheet or panel is depressed and thegrain of the wood changed in appearance from the other portionv thereof,coating the uncompacted portioniwitha resist,V stain?,k

ing` thecompacted portion, removing theresist, and nishingthe surface ofthey sheet, or panel.

